Building synergy between employee and client experiences

October 09, 2018 | Thomas Marsh

I recently had the opportunity to work with Flywire’s Chief People Officer, Kel Hartman, on a presentation for a conference for Human Resource professionals. The event itself, The Employee Experience Forum, focused on not only the employee experience but also the customer experience and how the two are closely linked.

For the presentation, Kel and I took the time to reflect how Flywire has cultivated the synergy between excellent employee and client experience, and how it can have an enormous and lasting impact on the business. We boiled down our successful practices to five main areas:

1. Operate in partnership We never underestimate the importance and impact of collaboration. Much of our company’s success is derived from our ability to work together across different departments, both internal and external to Flywire. For example, our Product team frequently interacts with clients in order to discover areas of improvement and implement product enhancements.

Our recruitment team also relies on partnering with key departments to achieve their goal of attracting the best talent to the company. Through cross-departmental collaboration, the team is able to impress candidates with a beautiful website, engaging content, not to mention modern offices that wow visitors the moment they step in through the door (or log into the Google Hangout).

2. Accept that one size does not fit The uniqueness and individuality of each of our FlyMates is evident in their personalities, perspectives, and distinctive work styles. With the understanding that there’s no one definitive path to success—rather, many different types of journeys exist—we strive to ensure our 300+ FlyMates feel supported individually. We do this by providing each of them with the right tools and assistance to succeed.

We apply the same philosophy of custom support to each of our 1700 clients and their varied paths to success. Understanding individual needs, challenging assumptions, and finding different ways to engage is equally true of providing great support to staff and customer.

3. Go out of your way to delight Our FlyMates and our clients are amazing, and we let them know that we’re taking note of their achievements as well as listening to their feedback. Recognizing efforts, hosting team meals, and celebrating milestones are just a few of the ways our Human Resources and client-facing teams show their appreciation. This relentless focus on FlyMates and clients, coupled with significant investments in supporting them as they achieve their respective goals, helps us bring delight to them on a daily basis.

4. Understand diversity Our FlyMates are as diverse as our global client base, and intrinsic to that diversity is an appreciation, interest, and respect for different cultures and backgrounds. We value a variety of thought and a passion for embracing new experience, as well as an adherence to following the unique regulations of serving or employing clients and staff in new markets. Located all over the world, our FlyMates love to openly share and celebrate their cultures with other offices, and we apply this appreciation for diversity to our wide range of clients.

5. Bring people together From all-company retreats, FlyForums, and advisory groups, to exercise classes, scavenger hunts, and office openings, getting people together in person is deeply impactful. It allows people to have shared experiences, tackle challenges, and strengthen bonds, whether it’s across a global client base or a global workforce. We encourage our FlyMates to travel to other offices because of the positive impact face-to-face interactions have on building and maintaining relationships. Following that same line of thinking, our teams love traveling to meet with clients to have meaningful discussions that in turn provide valuable insight into how we’re doing and what we can improve.

We firmly believe that part of the reason why our clients regard us so highly is the due to the dedicated, customer-centric staff we have across all departments of Flywire. Every day I get to see the magic dust of our unique culture—that we as FlyMates co-own—rub off on our interactions with clients and payers, putting us apart from, and ahead of, our competitors. It is something we must continue to value highly, just as our clients around the world do.

Thomas Marsh is the Relationship Management Director for EMEA in Edu Sales at Flywire.

To learn more about how Flywire can make receiving and reconciling international tuition payments simple, sign up to see a demo.